


what it takes

by xxcaribbean



Category: One Direction (Band), Real Person Fiction
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Daddy!Zayn, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, daddy!Liam, parents!ziam, ziam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-12
Updated: 2013-04-12
Packaged: 2017-12-08 05:47:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/757776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxcaribbean/pseuds/xxcaribbean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn realizes that staying away is a necessity, but it doesn't make the fact that his son has the chicken pox, and he can't do a damn thing about it, any better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	what it takes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [paradice (october)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/october/gifts).



> based on this [prompt](http://xprdc.tumblr.com/post/47724504026/prompt-78)

“Liam?”

He sees Zayn round the corner and come into the kitchen with a smile that lights up his face. “Hey, you’re home early.”

Zayn grins back and sets down his stuff on the kitchen table. Liam’s made a habit of him putting away his briefcase and anything else he lugs with him to work before settling down after a long day, but Zayn can’t be bothered right now, especially given that Zayn’s finally home and all he’d like to do now is relax.

“Couldn’t stand being a work a second longer.”

“You got bored and didn’t want to listen to old men complain.”

Zayn gives a sheepish smile before walking over to Liam and planting a kiss directly on his mouth. “Of course. Besides, you’re better to look at.”

Liam swats at Zayn, but he manages to dodge his hand as he makes his way over to the stove.

“Smells good,” Zayn leans over the appliance just enough to see what’s cooking. “Soup?” He gives an odd look before Liam explains.

“Jace isn’t feeling well. They called me to come and pick up him today.” Liam glances over at Zayn from the sink where he’s peeling potatoes for their meal later, and he can already see the rigidness in Zayn’s posture.

“What, why?” Zayn looks on concerned, waiting for Liam to continue. “Why didn’t they call me?”

“Zayn, it’s okay.” Liam places the potato on a plate near the sink before turning on the water to wash his hands. “They contacted me first, and I didn’t call you because you were at work, and you didn’t need any more stress on your plate.”

“Liam,” Zayn tilts his head and gives his husband a very sour look before he moves past him.

But before Zayn can exit the kitchen, as Liam knew he would do, Liam grabs at his hand and pulls Zayn back so that he’s against his side. “You don’t need to go in there.”

Which isn’t exactly the right thing to say because Zayn’s eyes nearly bug out of his head, and he pushes at Liam so he can go see his son. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Zayn says as he backs away from Liam.

“Sorry,” Liam rushes. “He’s sick, Zayn, and you can’t go in there.”

“But I want to see him.”

Liam sighs before frowning. He pushes himself away from the sink and over to Zayn. He feels awful for not explaining himself right away, but he realizes that this kind of news isn’t going to settle well with Zayn. It’s not anything dire, but more of an inconvenience for both their son and for his husband.

“He’s got the chicken pox,” Liam explains.

It takes Zayn a moment or two to process what he'd just been told before it dawns on him that he probably should've known that Jace was coming down with something. “He told me he wasn’t feeling all that well the other day, and I accounted it for allergies or something. Oh god.”

“Zayn,” Liam says sternly, watching as Zayn’s thoughts get the better of him. “Hey, it’s not your fault.” Liam places a hand under Zayn’s chin so that he can get him to look at him. “He’ll be fine, okay. You’re just going to have to stay away from him for a week or so until it clears up so you don’t get it yourself.”

Zayn looks at Liam with wide eyes before he shakes his head. “I can’t do that, Liam. A week?”

Liam nods but he understands what Zayn’s referring too. “I know you want to see him, but if you do, you might get sick."

“Then I’ll put up with it if I get it.”

Liam briefly bites the inside of his cheek before shaking his head. “Zayn, be practical, alright. It’d be stupid for you to get sick too when it’s easily avoidable."

But Zayn snorts, “Yeah, and look at the cost. That’s my son, Liam. I should be able to help him.”

Liam rubs Zayn’s arm in comfort before pulling him in for a hug. “I know,” he says, feeling awful about this. They both have a close relationship with Jace, given that they both work and have to plan ahead in order to spend time with him, but Liam knows that Zayn’s slightly more connected to the boy in terms of his overall health.

Liam chalks it up to Zayn feeling like something extremely bad might happen to him regardless of whether Liam reassures the other lad that their child is as safe as he can be and in a loving home.

“Can I peek into his room?” Zayn asks quietly. He hears Liam clear his throat before pulling back and giving him a pleading look. “I won’t go in there, okay? Just let me see him really quick, and I’ll come back to help with dinner.”

Liam eventually agrees and watches as Zayn exits the kitchen, prepared to go after him if he isn’t back within five minutes.

x.x.x.x

Liam ends up spending a majority of his time in Jace's room. He only really ever leaves if Jace needs something or if the boy is tucked into bed fast asleep.

Zayn’s not allowed anywhere near the room and oftentimes finds himself wandering there anyway. He has to hold back from entering the room because he knows how pissed off Liam will be, but it’s already been a few days, and Zayn’s beginning to get agitated.

For the longest time, he never thought he’d actually be a father, and when Liam had brought up the idea to him all those years ago, he’d said yes in less than a heartbeat because he knew without a doubt that both Liam and he would be able to do it and provide for a little one with everything they could ever want.

Of course he’d been warned of the difficult times and how it’s not always rainbows and sunshine, but for the most part, everything's worked out in their favor. Well, except now, because to Zayn, it's one of those moments he really wishes he could avoid.

Zayn sighs and fixes himself a cup of tea. He's been home from work every other day, Liam practically having to force Zayn out of bed just to go because he doesn't want to leave in case something happens. But with Liam being a firm believer in following through with things and reassuring Zayn that both he and their son would be fine, he makes Zayn go despite his protests. Though today had been one of those days where Zayn wasn't having any of it.

He can hear Jace’s giggles coming from down the hall and the few laughs from Liam as they play together, most likely with Jace's cars.

Liam’s told him that Jace has asked about him on multiple occasions, and because of that, Zayn does the occasional not listening bit where he’ll stand a few feet away from his son’s room in order to wave at him and see him, but they both know it’s not enough, especially with Liam nearly spending every second with Jace.

By the time Zayn’s got his tea made, and he’s in the living room watching tv, Liam eventually joins him by sitting on the loveseat in the room. “Don’t want to sit next to me now?” Zayn pouts.

Liam smiles but shakes his head. “Haven’t showered yet.”

And Zayn knows he’s just being cautious. “How is he?” he asks before bringing his mug up to his lips.

“He’s doing fine. Won’t stop itching regardless of what I tell him, but he’s a big boy and it looks like it’s clearing up,” Liam clarifies.

Zayn perks up at that and sets down his drink on the coffee table, “Really?”

Liam nods before standing up. “Yes, really. I’d give it another two days or so, and he’ll be fine.”

“You’re sure?” Zayn asks regardless of Liam telling him everything’s okay.

Liam nods and looks at Zayn directly. “I promise.”

Zayn softens his features and figures that he might be giving Liam the wrong message with the way he’s worrying. “Okay,” he responds.

He lets Liam leave then, probably to go shower before he stops his husband just as he gets to the opening of the hallway.

“Yeah?” Liam looks back with curiosity.

“Thank you,” he announces. “I know this is difficult enough as it is, and I know I’m not helping-”

“Zayn,” Liam cuts him off, “You’ve got every right to be worried, and to be honest, I rather like hearing you complain because it means you care. Don’t apologize for that.”

Before Liam leaves the room, he tells Zayn that Jace is asleep and that if he wakes up, to come find him. He ends up giving Zayn a soft smile that settles his nerves, and soon enough he’s alone again with just his thoughts and the tv to distract him.

x.x.x.x

Zayn comes home from work one day feeling terrible. There’d been meetings and further setbacks on future projects that the company had planned to start on within the next week.

He’s home a little later than normal, but Zayn can smell the remainder of cooked food, probably now wrapped up and placed within the fridge for him to heat up and eat by himself. It’s not so late that Liam may be in bed now, but Zayn wouldn’t put it past him for going to bed early, especially dealing with Jace all on his own.

Zayn feels absolutely terrible that he can’t be of help, but all he can do is watch their son and his husband spend a good amount of time together all because Zayn had been a bit different and had managed to avoid the chicken pox.

Zayn ends up shrugging out of his jacket to place it into the closet, storing his briefcase in there too because he’d rather not think about it right now. He knows that if he does, he might end up stuck looking over paperwork for another night.

“Daddy?”

Zayn freezes before turning around to find a little body running towards him. Hands wrap around his leg and a face buries itself against Zayn’s side and all he can do is place a hand on top of the little boy’s head.

“What are you doing?” he asks, looking down at his son.

Jace pulls away from him abruptly and stares up at Zayn with big brown eyes, just like Liam’s. “Miss you,” the young one mumbles. Zayn can see that he’s starting to get shy by backing away ever so slowly, and it breaks Zayn’s heart because he’s not supposed to be near him in case he might end up with the pox too.

“You’re supposed to be in bed,” Zayn states softly. He has to bite his tongue and avoid the urge to bend down and pick Jace up, but he can’t do that because he’s still sick.

Jace ends up lowering his head, his hair falling into his face and obscuring Zayn’s view of him. He’s also about to tell him to go on to bed, to go find Liam so he can get some rest, but then a tiny voice speaks up and Zayn almost chokes on tears.

“Daddy, you not like me anymore?”

“What?” Zayn says with a thickness in his throat. His eyes mist over, and he’s absolutely bewildered until he hears the shuffling of feet from down the hall. Suddenly Liam is there in the threshold but he doesn’t move forward like Zayn expects him to. Instead he looks at Zayn with a sleepy smile and nods and that’s all Zayn needs to understand that everything’s okay now.

“Baby, c’mere.” Zayn leans down on his haunches before opening his arms, allowing Jace to come closer. As soon as the boy does, wrapping his arms around Zayn and burying his face into the crook of his neck, Zayn wraps his arms around the little body too until he lifts him up. Jace’s legs curl around Zayn’s lower body so that he’s practically clinging to Zayn, but he doesn’t mind because his son is okay. He’s better and Zayn can be near him again.

Zayn closes his eyes to hold off his own set of tears but he hears the sniffles that come from his son, so he presses a kiss to Jace’s temple and runs a hand through his hair to make up for his lack of presence. “Jace,” Zayn eventually says once he’s stable enough to do so. “I want you to listen, okay?”

The little boy nods but eventually pulls back from Zayn just the slightest bit. Zayn has to ruffle his hair a bit in order to see his eyes. He swears the boy needs a haircut but he won’t let anyone touch it, claiming it’s fine the way it is.

Zayn smiles and wipes at the boy’s tears with his thumb. “Daddy loves you so, so much,” he begins. He realizes that Jace may not fully understand what he’s about to try and explain, but he needs to do it anyway so that the boy at least knows that Zayn didn’t leave him for so long on purpose. “But you got sick.”

Jace nods, “Sick, yes.”

Zayn chuckles. “Yeah, and Daddy’s never been that kind of sick before which means I couldn’t be near you or I’d get really sick too.”

The little boy frowns and looks mildly concerned, but before he can comment, Zayn continues. “And that’s why Papa had to take care of you, Jace, because he wouldn’t get sick. But you’re better now, and I promise I’ll be here, okay?”

Jace clings to Zayn even tighter it seems, but Zayn doesn’t let him go. The kid lays his head against Zayn’s shoulder again, where Zayn’s spends the rest of his night hugging the boy until his breathing evens out and Zayn has to put him to bed.

And when he does, Zayn can’t be bothered to leave his side until Liam comes in and tells him he needs to go to bed. So when Zayn finally changes out of his clothes and into his pajamas before climbs into bed with Liam, he still has a strong urge to go back into Jace’s room just to be by his side.

“He thought I didn’t love him anymore, Liam,” he whispers against Liam’s chest. They’re both wrapped up together in bed, and although Zayn knows that Liam’s probably already asleep, it doesn’t stop him from voicing his concerns. “I’m a bad parent, aren’t I?”

Liam clicks his tongue and forces Zayn to look at him despite the darkness that envelopes the room. They can barely make out one another, but just as Zayn had needed Jace to hear him out, Liam needs the same from him. “Stop it. Being a bad parent would consist of you not caring about our son while he was sick, Zayn. You did what you needed to do, and Jace, he’s probably too young to understand the reason you needed to stay away, but you didn’t do it on purpose either. It was what the both of you needed so you guys were safe, and he knows now that you care.”

Zayn nods his head and realizes Liam’s right. “Okay,” he says. “Is it,” Zayn pauses, pursing his lip before continuing. “Would it be okay if I took him out tomorrow? I’ll miss work so he and I can find something to do together.”

Liam raises his brow but doesn’t protest. “Zayn, you can do whatever you want. He’s your son too, and I’ve been there for him these past couple of days. He needs you the most right now.”

Zayn leans forward and connects his lips with Liam’s regardless of whether the other lad was ready for it or not. “Thank you,” Zayn whispers as he pulls back.

“For what?”

“For taking care of him when I couldn’t.”

To Liam, Zayn seems so small all of a sudden but he pulls him back in so that Zayn’s close to him, head resting against his chest once again before he slings an arm around his torso.

“Always.”


End file.
